Automobile headlight



c. A. MICHEL AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Feb. 7 L925 17, 1931. c M|CHEL I 1,792,598

AUTOMOB ILE HEADLIGHT Filed Feb. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 WO Z/ PatentedFeb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE A. MICHEL, 0FCLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO REMY CORPORA- TION, OF DAYTON, OHIO,A GORPOBATON OF DELAWARE AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT Application filed FebruaryThis invention relates generally to automoblie headlights and moreparticularly to a novel form of reflector for use in connection with adual. filament lamp and a modified form of lens.

In many of the automobile headlights as now constructed, two lamps areemployed, the central or driving lamp being usually of greater candlepower than the upper lamp which is usually termed the dimmer and isemployed for city driving and when passing other automobiles, whereasthe main or central light is intended for road driving. Furthermore, inmost automobile headlights as at present constructed some form ofmodified lens is employed and very frequently modified forms ofreflectors in order to -keep the top of the beam below a definite levelwhich is termed the legal limit of the top of the beam.

The object of my invention is to employ at the center of the reflector alamp having two filaments one of which can be used for road driving andthe other one for city driving or while passing automobiles and thesetwo filaments are so placed that, in connection with the reflector andlens, the top of the beam will always be maintained at the proper legalheight but can be drawn down perceptibly for city driving or whenpassing other automobiles.

My invention consists in the details of construction and combinationhereinafter fully described and set forth in the appended claim. V

Various forms of reflectors and lenses might be employed for carryingout my invention an d in the drawing forming a part of thisspecification I have shown one embodiment of such general inventive ideaand in which Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of the reflector andlamp arranged therein together with a lens arranged in advance of. thereflector; Fig. 2 is a face view of the reflector; Fig. 3 is a face viewof the lens; and Fig. 4: is a side view thereof.

In order to carry out my invention I employ a lamp A having twoindependently lighted filaments B and C, the filament B being arrangedsubstantially on the axis D 7, 1925. Serial No. 7,447.

of the reflector E while the filament C is arranged a short distanceabove the same. The lower half of the reflector E is a true parabola butthe forward portion of the upper half is modified by bringing theportion between the points F and G within or below the true paraboliccurvature of revolution, the true curvature of revolution beingindicated by the dotted lines F G Whereas the actual curvature is withinand indicated by the full line F G. i If this upper forward portion ofthe upper half of the reflector were not thus modified the rays of lightemanating from the upper filament would be reflected upwardly but bybringing the curvature within or below the true parabolic curvature, asindicated, the rays of light from both filaments will be reflecteddownwardly. The rays of light from both filaments reflected from thelower portion will be horizontally directed. and slightly below thehorizontal. In order to prevent the formation of sharp angles betweenthe lower half of the reflector and the modified portion and also tofacilitate the fabrication of the one piece reflector I providetransition surfaces H between the upper and lower .sections of the.reflector, the side edges of such transition surfaces being indicated bythe lines I. By means of the reflector as thus constructed and the twofilament lamp positioned in the manner herein set forth all of the raysof light from either filament will be directed either horizontally orbelow the horizontal. In connection with the lamp and re flector asherein described I employ a lens K having vertical flutes L covering themajor portion of the lens and flutes M covering the extreme lowerportion of the lens, these flutes M being prismatic. By means of theflutes there will be lateral distribution of the light and inasmuch asthe lower flutes M are prismatic there will be a bending down of therays passing therethrough so as to prevent any possible upward tendencyof the rays reflected from the forward portion of the lower' half due tothe fact that the filaments have considerable longitudinal dimension andconsequently are in excess of the true focal point.

In use the filament B is employed for road signature.

driving and the top of the beam will be projected forwardly aconsiderable distance in this manner the desired road illumination maybe obtained. For city driving, however, and when passing otherautomobiles the filament B will be cut out and the filament C out in andthe top of the beam will then be perceptibly deflected or throwndownwardly thereby avoiding all possibility of glare as it is.wellunderstood that, owing to uneveness of the roadway or to the movement ofthe vehicle, there are times when stray beams are dangerousnotwithstanding the fact that modified lenses and reflectors may beemployed but experience has demonstrated that y means of the doublefilament lamp in combination with the reflector and lens as herein shownand described a decided vertical deflection of the top of the beam isobtained and the liability of glare reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a lightprojector, the combination of a substantially parabolic reflector and alamp, said lamp having two independently lighted filaments, one of saidfilaments being located on the axis of the reflector and the other oneslightly above said axis, the forward portion of the upper half of thereflector being brought within the true curvature of revolution wherebyrays of light from either filament will be reflected downwardly, and alens having a prismatic lower portion arranged in advance of thereflector and whereby any upwardly directed ray reflected from theforward ortion of the lower half of the reflector will refracteddownwardly.

In testimony whereof; I hereunto aflix my CLARENCE A. MICHEL.

